Don't let anyone tell you that exercise is needed to lose weight.
About two weeks ago I developed a hernia and my exercise level has dropped waaaaaaaaaaay down. Yet, I continue to lose. I'm often 3 pounds lighter than my goal weight and would be even lighter if I didn't monitor myself daily on the scale. I have to deliberately eat more high calorie foods whether I'm hungry or not to maintain my weight. I suppose I could just let nature take its' course and stop losing when my body is ready to stop, but I'm very comfortable with how I look and feel (hernia aside) and don't want to buy yet another wardrobe.
Is anyone familiar with a pattern like this?

Sorry to hear about the hernia.... hope it is well on it's way to being healed.

I have never continued to lose weight without trying. But Dr. Lutz writes in his book Life Without Bread, that on a low carb diet, people will lose to where they should be and an underweight person will gain to where they should be. He had many years of clinic experience.

__________________Cathy
Original start - Feb. 2000 180/125

"The energy content of food (calories) matters, but it is less important than the metabolic effect of food on our body." Dr. P. Attia

Sorry to hear about the hernia.... hope it is well on it's way to being healed.

I have never continued to lose weight without trying. But Dr. Lutz writes in his book Life Without Bread, that on a low carb diet, people will lose to where they should be and an underweight person will gain to where they should be. He had many years of clinic experience.

LOL, I wish the hernia was 'well on it's way' but alas hernias don't heal without sugery. I know several people who just live with one, but I'm not happy with the limitations I have to set in order to avoid pain, so I guess I'm headed toward surgery later this year.
I find it very interesting and I believe that my lc woe could result in my body finding it's level and pretty much staying there. I just don't want to lose anymore....Don't think the irony of me having to force myself to gain escapes me. I have gone from the fattest kid in the 5th grade to force feeding myself in order to gain.
I eat only carbs gotten from healthy foods, mostly greens, cruciferous veggies and nuts. I have worked too hard at weaning off of junk carbs to "let myself go" and have some pasta or fries. I don't even desire those foods anymore, but hey, I won't take anything for granted. Too many people here at LCF have reported success only to 'fall off the lc wagon' at some point and return to being unhealthy and overweight.

Sorry to hear about the hernia.... hope it is well on it's way to being healed.

I have never continued to lose weight without trying. But Dr. Lutz writes in his book Life Without Bread, that on a low carb diet, people will lose to where they should be and an underweight person will gain to where they should be. He had many years of clinic experience.

I am counting on this and hoping to just get to the weight that the diet takes me and continue to eat that way for the rest of my life. I am very curious to see what my body settles at. I was very comfortable at 135 when I was in my 20s, but I thin the bmi charts set the low end of healthy for me at like 102, which I'm pretty sure would be nightmareish.

So, Avid, do you think you'd feel too skinny a this weight or a couple more pounds down, or are you just attached to those new clothes? It would be so amazing to me to be at a point where I truly wanted to put on a couple of pounds.

I'm sorry about your hernia!

__________________
jayne, type I diabetic and mama to two sweet boys (9/03 and 2/09)

Sorry that you are in pain, Avid. I can't imagine the thought of having to make myself eat. No woman on this board would ever be that attached to her new wardrobe that she would intentionally try to stop the weight loss

Sorry that you are in pain, Avid. I can't imagine the thought of having to make myself eat. No woman on this board would ever be that attached to her new wardrobe that she would intentionally try to stop the weight loss

Sorry that you are in pain, Avid. I can't imagine the thought of having to make myself eat. No woman on this board would ever be that attached to her new wardrobe that she would intentionally try to stop the weight loss

I've not heard of it because of clothes, but because of appearance or simply looking too thin.

thanks for the feedback.
Actually, the wardrobe statement was pretty much a joke.
I like the way I look and feel at this weight. It's partly a "guy thing" which is a
way saying an 'ego thing'. I am built small, 5'6" with small frame. But I'm still a guy.
weighing in the 120's bothers me. Even though I've been as light as 127.0 recently, if someone (one of my kids usually) asks me how much I weigh I never say anything less than 130.
As for the hernia, I'm getting used to it, and it's not as limiting as I originally thought. But I am meeting with a surgeon next Fridday to get his opinion. Apprantly there are alot of nerve threads in the lower abdomen and so the surgery, even laproscopic carries some real risks.
Back to the weight issue. I actually enjoy the extra eating on the low weight days. I'm on a sort of JUDD program...If I'm below 128 I eat extra, 130 or above, I eat less, everything in between is my normal LC woe.
I love all my LCF friends <3

Sounds great! I hardly ever exercise other than the odd walk of canoe ride, stuff like that. I used to be practically addicted to exercise because I thought that was the key to losing weight. Having said that though, I do think weight lifting or strength training, is important for retaining muscle mass and bone density on a ketogenic (Low Carb) diet. This is based on my personal experience though, through monitoring my body composition using DEXA scans.

As far as the maintenance goes, I am considered underweight by the BMI standards. However because of the way I tend to pack on body fat (extreme pear shape), I prefer to be underweight because I look better in clothes. If there is such a thing as "set point" then maintenance can be difficult for people who want to be underweight. I have found that I can't really do the atkins protocol. Increasing the protein, was also challenging and didn't seem to work well. But increasing the fat seems to be ok so far. I haven't experimented with calorie or carb cycling yet. But there might also be some advantages there. Maybe if things go well I might try it. I probably won't try it until I can maintain for at least 6 months.

Hi Punkin,
You are absolutely right about exercise. The evidence is overwhelming. Exercise is essential to health. As for resistance training i.e. weight training to retain or build muscle mass, I agree with you there also.
I'm back in the gym. Yesterday I walked the treadmill and used the elliptical machine for a combined 30 minutes then did some decline leg lifts and shoulder bridge to tone up the abs without stressing the hernia. I had no pain at all.
I've also used light dumbells while on the treadmill just to stay toned up.
I'm easing back into my usual activities taking baby steps. I'm still probably heading for surgery in the near future, but I'm in no rush.

Had my hernia repaired a couple of months ago - piece of cake! Well LC cake anyway. Rode 13 miles on my bike this morning along the coast so am at least exercising little. One day I will make goal like you did avid!

Had my hernia repaired a couple of months ago - piece of cake! Well LC cake anyway. Rode 13 miles on my bike this morning along the coast so am at least exercising little. One day I will make goal like you did avid!

Outstanding!!
Inguinal hernia? Did you get the open or the laproscopic?
Glad your bouncing back so quickly.

thanks for the replies.
I meet with a surgeon on Friday. I confess to being a little nervous.
I've added an evening snack of some nut butter and sf jelly.
Scale shows my weight is exactly the same for a couple days now.

Thanks for the kind thoughts.
I'm pretty stable in my wight lately.
That evening pb&j snack is working out really well.
I'll post on here what the surgeon says after I see him Friday.
thanks for the love.